Meadowbank Estates:
Meadowbank Home | Australia Map | New Zealand Map | Meadowbank Wines
Waipara Valley
Wa ipara , an exciting viticultural sub
-region of Canterbury in the South Island of
New Zealand, is located 45 minutes north of
the city of Christchurch. Its latitude equates
to that of the south of France in the northern
hemisphere. To the east, the Waipara Valley is
separated from Pegasus Bay by a range of
hills, which protect it from the cooling winds
of the Pacific. To the west lie the Southern
Alps (Main Divide), from where the regions hot
northwest winds derive. Its sheltered
position, but proximity to the sea, gives it
warm days, cool nights and a dry autumn,
resulting in a very prolonged ripening period.
This promotes intense flavor development and
optimal ripeness, while retaining good natural
acidity.
Canterbury is the fourth largest
wine-producing region in New Zealand. It is
also one of the newest, exciting, rapidly
expanding wine regions with considerable
international investment.
Soil types range from chalky loams rich in
limestone on the hillside to the alluvial silt
loams over gravel subsoils in the flats. This
diversity is a unique quality of this 100,000
case production wine area. Chardonnay and
Pinot Noir are the most widely planted grapes
making up approximately 60% of the region’s
vineyard. Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are
other popular varietals for the Waipara
region.
Wineries
Return to Map
|
Meadowbank Estates 